Concept:
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016 was enacted to strengthen the rights and protections available to persons with disabilities and to align Indian law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Step 1: Understanding the earlier law.
The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 recognized only 7 categories of disabilities.
Step 2: Changes introduced in 2016.
The RPWD Act, 2016 significantly expanded the list of recognized disabilities from 7 categories to 21 categories.
Step 3: Examples of newly included disabilities.
The expanded list included:
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Acid attack victims
• Parkinson's disease
• Hemophilia
• Sickle cell disease
• Multiple sclerosis
Step 4: Final conclusion.
Therefore, the number of recognized disabilities increased from 7 to 21.